What the Fool Never Took
by sams-bestfriend
Summary: Merry and Pippin are always side by side and it was thought that it would never change. But when Pippin has a bad feeling in the final battle by Sauron, being by each other's side grows very hard.


After being with the fellowship for so long Merry or I did not plan on going and turning back now. At this point we were just so close but the separation was tearing us apart. We missed Frodo and Sam and all the others so terribly and just wanted this whole thing to end just so we could go home and lead normal lives again. We came so close for this whole thing to be over but fate just wasn't in out favor and at the last moment something terrible went wrong...

Merry and I were walking along with the four others. We loved them; don't get this confused, we loved them very much. They just weren't the same as Frodo and Sam, the pals we practically grew up with, being so far from Frodo and Sam so long made out hearts heavy either way.

"Merry we are so close to having this whole thing over; do you think Frodo and Sam are....ok?" I questioned timidly because, in good reason, I was afraid on what the answer would be

"I'm sure they're fine Pip" Merry answered, as usual his voice sounded so calm but I knew it was forced. As a mother would say to a child, he used a fake optimistic and absolute voice, one that could reassure a young child. This tone I was used to, Merry always tried to look out for me.

I smiled lowly and soon saw the tower and the eye; I stared into the flames wide-eyed. The eye seemed to scan its whole territory like a hawk and I began to worry for Frodo and Sam thinking how they ever could have escaped the evil eye of Sauron. As we drew nearer and nearer I knew that we had to do what I feared worst and go through one of the hardest battles I would ever have to face, also I hoped would be my last to see.

"Merry. Pippin?" I heard Gandalf question for out attention. "Are you ready for what you will have to do?" he asked us in a quiet tone, this was unusual for me as well since normally he had a harsh tone with me, of course I couldn't blame him...I mean I know that I had done wrong and stupid things in the past, but here he spoke to me softly.

I hesitated for a few seconds but when I saw Merry nod his head softly I knew I could brave through anything as long as I had Merry at my side. I thought about it a few seconds more before I also nodded my head "Yes Gandalf...I will do my best....for Frodo" I smiled softly at my added remark and out of the corner of my eye I saw Merry smirk to me too.

Aragorn looked at the two of us and smiled softly "Two hobbits braving into battle..." he chuckled lowly "I'm sure you'll make your kind marvel at your skill and bravery not to mention make your race proud."  
Merry smiled lowly and I did too I really did enjoy the compliment Aragorn gave to us but in my stomach I felt horrible and I was rather afraid to fight. I also had a bad feeling about something I could not think of and that took so much thought out of me that I was so lost in what some would say "My own little world" but I really didn't care what they said, something still worried me.  
I broke out of my trance when I heard Legolas's fair voice utter words directed to me. I shook my head "Wha?" I said, rather dumbfounded. I guess Legolas could tell that I sounded pretty out of it because he smiled softly to himself. "I asked if you were ok...you seem to worry about something...I can tell" he said softly. That was one thing I loved about Legolas and all elves for that matter, they all seemed very observant even when you thought you showed nothing in your features to make them infer something. He also seemed to worry about me which was kind of him but was something I wished not to speak about since I really didn't know what I was worried about nor did I know what they would think of the whole idea, so I simply shook my head softly.  
"No worries Legolas" I smiled my cheesy grin "I'll be fine I'm just a bit dazed" I said which was partly true if you thought about it but all my years with Merry he found a way through my lie and put a hand on my shoulder pulling me away from the others.  
"Pip I know there's something wrong..." he said frowning lowly "What's on your mind?" he asked me. I smiled lowly and shook my head slowly  
"Merry, Merry, Merry....I really don't know what I'm worrying about...I'm sure I'm just a bit paranoid but I know this war will turn out ok for us so I shouldn't be one to worry..." I said softly but though it sounded logical I still worried, greatly in fact.  
The minutes that we had in the quiet felt in a way, the eye of a hurricane in the sense that you could feel so safe in the eye but you knew that the worst was not far behind you. The time flew by too fast and what felt like seconds later I heard the thing I dreaded most to hear.  
"Merry, Pippin, Legolas, Aragorn, and Gimli....let us get this terror over with...make it the best fight you have in you...for Frodo and Sam" I heard Gandalf say, my features froze as I rotated my neck to look at him. He smiled reassuringly to everyone yet in his eyes I knew it was directed towards me. In a flash I was rid of my fearful gaze, though I was not rid of the fear itself, I had to be strong now more then ever.

We all lined up in front of the gate, Merry, as always, at my side. The other members of the fellowship, I knew, were right behind us. We waited once more for only a few minutes this time as the others fighting along with us got into their battle stance. Soon, before I was even close to being prepared for the battle, the gates opened slowly and the eye shifted maliciously on us. I stared at it momentarily in awe before we had to charge.  
Without thinking I screamed out "FOR FRODO" as loud as I could for I felt as if everyone needed to hear who we were fighting for and with hope, understand why this was just so very important that even two hobbits will go to war about it. I smiled weakly to myself as I heard not only my voice but Merry's voice also chime in with me.

The battle raged and Merry and I split apart with all the commotion. This worried me greatly because I still had a bad feeling in my stomach and being far from Merry scared me.  
Everything was going well and as the enemy's minions slowly fell I could finally see Merry and I smiled, I began to run over to him when at that moment, though I had no idea, Gollum fell in the fires of mount doom, the ring going with him. This indeed was good news but at the same time it was terrible. When the ring melted away the threatening eye of Sauron suddenly imploded and the tower began to collapse, many bricks tumbled to the ground. Now if this wasn't bad enough, I saw Merry underneath the collapsing rubble. "MERRY!!!" I screamed, the scream so loud my throat burned like the fire that Sauron's eye once existed of. Merry though stared at the tower in fright, like a deer caught in traffic his whole body froze up and all I could see of him for the last few seconds that I did was the heart wrenching fear on his face....  
  
I stood there in unbelief for a few seconds, staring at what the tower used to be and also what it had become. When I came to my wits again I took off as fast as my short legs could take me. "Damn you legs" I cursed in frustration wishing that I was anything but a hobbit at this point for my tiny legs could not get me to Merry as fast as I wanted.  
"Merry!" I cried out "I'll come to you don't worry" I said calling out to him hopelessly.  
I began throwing what bricks I could aside and with all the strength I could muster, I rolled the bricks off of where I thought Merry would be. I know now that if I was in any other situation I would not have been able to roll the bricks off of him. I worked for what felt like hours before I finally reached Merry. My heart dropped so much that I thought it would just tear out of my chest. "M-Merry" I stuttered not wanting to move him for fear of hurting him more.  
The first thing I did was take his hand in mine "Merry...Merry please just say something!" I said, my heart racing as tears filled the brims of my eyes. I ran my fingers down his knuckles and with my free hand move the hair from his face. I frowned as I found a large gash on his temple. I refused to let go of his hand for I felt Merry knew I was here just by feeling my touch.  
"Oh god Merry why did this happen to you?" I said softly to him running my fingers down his arm to feel for my injuries to him. "You of all people Merry!" I said softly and I made a decision to get him out of the rubble and keep him close to me.

As soon as I moved more bricks and rocks out of the way I carefully lifted Merry out and into my arms, I sat down and laid him in my lap, arms supporting the back of his head and neck. My head went to my knee and I occasionally glanced over to him, only to look away out of sadness. I looked down at him and moved my fingers slightly to ruffle the hair that fell down to his neck. It was then I saw him flicker his eyes open briefly "Hello....Pip" I heard him say so very softly that it sounded as a whisper. I smiled faintly "M....Merry!" I said and at last tears fell from my eyes silently "Hold on Merry promise me you won't go anywhere that I can't stand beside you" I whispered to him as the other members of the fellowship finally came from being so far back. At this time I was holding Merry's hand again as he rested on the soft ground, one of my hands wrapped around his fingers and my other resting on his head in which a tatter of my cloak was wrapped around the wound by his temple. I frowned slowly and stood but I refused to release Merry's hand "You help him" I said to Gandalf with more force then I thought "I don't care what you do just help him!" and said with a scowl.  
Gandalf went ahead with Merry and I told him I had to go with him and stay with Merry all I could. We rode Shadowfax Gandalf taking us, and we met Elrond half way, Elrond sensing our arrival. He took Merry from me and I frowned, gripping Merry's hand in mind one last time before Elrond whisked him away to a small house a bit farther in the woods. I sat outside for I knew I was not allowed in and as tired as I was, I sat outside and forced myself to stay awake.  
Hours later, Elrond came out and told me I could see Merry at last but warned me he may not remember much. I ran in to Merry and I was at his bedside quickly. He was slightly awake and I smiled at him "Merry!" I chuckled lowly "I was worried!."  
Merry smiled softly, his head bandaged along with an arm, leg and I was surprised to see that he also broke his neck. I thought everything was ok so I went to sleep in the room beside Merry.  
Elrond told me the next day that Merry would be ok and I smiled lowly to myself. I walked in to see Merry to see him awake; I smiled "Good Morning Merry!" I said with a smile but my smile faded as I saw Merry looked confused "'Ello...er..." he frowned lowly and I knew that Merry forgot a lot from the wound on his temple.  
"Pippin...don't you remember me!?" I said frowning lowly but I saw Merry grin "Of course I do Pip!" he laughed leaning towards me and hugging me "Thank you..." he whispered in my ear and I smiled widely. "It's good..." I said looking over at Merry to see that he fell asleep again "To have you back Meriadoc..."

.........................................................................................................  
Review if you want and I hope you enjoyed the story. ï


End file.
